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By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
Two of the three Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission subcommittees reviewed five grant applications asking for funds to fight the opioid epidemic and approved two with caveats, classified two as "maybes" and gave a firm "no" to one on Jan. 24.
The settlement funds come from opioid manufacturers and distributors and are required to be used for reimbursement of prior expenses and the funding of new programs related to the prevention, treatment and recovery of people with opioid-use disorders and co-occurring substance-use disorders, or mental health issues.
So far, Kentucky is getting $842 million from these settlement funds, half of which will be allocated by the state advisory commission, with the other half going to cities and counties. Funds are to be disbursed annually, on various schedules, through 2038.
Members of the Prevention Subcommittee and the Reform and Compliance Subcommittee spent an hour deciding the initial fate of five applications referenced only by an assigned number, to keep them private.
Details from the applications were occasionally and vaguely mentioned during the committee discussion.
However, it was apparent that one of the two applications that got a "yes" vote, both with caveats and adjustments, dealt with harm reduction, while the other was for unnamed program for a small youth cohort. The "maybe" group included a national organization that would partner with existing programs in Kentucky and an elective class to be offered to younger students. The application that got the "no" vote involved a group from New York that proposed something that is already being done in Kentucky.
Concerns and questions were raised on the "yes" and "maybe" applications that must be answered before they move forward to the full commission.
The main concern with all four applications was money, with a general consensus that they were asking for too much to execute their plans. Other concerns dealt with coverage areas, a need for assurance that the monies would be spent in Kentucky, questions about staffing models and salaries, and a need to know how the programs might overlap with existing programs.
The committee said all of the applications were different from each other and could not be grouped together.
Application criteria
Bryan Hubbard, executive director and chair of the advisory commission, opened the meeting by reading the 12 criteria established in an emergency administrative regulation to guide the assessment of the applications.
The regulation says the commission, in awarding funds, shall consider:
Hubbard then instructed the subcommittee to place the reviewed applications into a yes, no or maybe category, adding that the maybes should also include a list of questions and concerns that would be addressed by the applicant so that they could then be placed into a yes or no category.
He said the applications placed in the "yes" category would be assessed for their coverage areas, that like proposals would be grouped together and that unique, stand-alone proposals would remain so.
"That is our process," he said.
Later in the meeting, Scott Hornbuckle, a staffer with the commission, clarified what a yes vote for an application meant: "Yes means it's a good idea, we want them to participate at some level, we need to look into it further. It does not mean, yes, we approve their grants at this price point," but the application would move to the next step in the process.
Hubbard told the legislature's health committees Jan. 19 that the commission had received 32 completed applications and 231 more are in progress. He said the total asked by the completed applications is $63.6 million.
Applications are being accepted on a rolling deadline, and the application date is open-ended, at least for now. The commission plans to make the first awards in the spring, with hopes of making three more later this year.
Members of the subcommittees
Members of the Prevention Subcommittee in attendance were Von Purdy, representing citizens at large and chair of the joint subcommittee; Eric Friedlander, representing the Cabinet for Health and Family Services; and Carlos Cameron, district director for Rep. Hal Rogers, who was appointed by Senate President Robert Stivers.
Dr. Allen Brenzel, medical director of the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities, who serves if Friedlander is absent, also attended the meeting. Members of the Reform and Compliance Committee in attendance were state Rep. Danny Bentley, appointed by House Speaker David Osborne; Vic Brown, representing law enforcement, who attended via telephone; and state Treasurer Allison Ball. Jason Roop, representing victims of the opioid crisis, was absent. Also present was Lorran Ferguson, Ball's chief of staff and deputy treasurer. |
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Ky. Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission subcommittees consider five grant applications, with nly two getting a yes vote
Monday, January 23, 2023
How to avoid vision problems from diabetes, which 13.6% of Kentuckians have, 7th in U.S.; 33.8% more have pre-diabetes
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| Diabetes can cause blindness. (smirart/iStock/Getty Images) |
University of Kentucky
Diabetes is a disease so prevalent in the U.S. that it is considered to be an epidemic. In Kentucky, according to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 13.6% of the adult population has diagnosed diabetes, seventh in the nation.
Diabetes is a disease so prevalent in the U.S. that it is considered to be an epidemic. In Kentucky, according to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 13.6% of the adult population has diagnosed diabetes, seventh in the nation.
Another 33.8% of Kentuckians have been diagnosed as having pre-diabetes. Diabetes can result in devastating consequences financially and physically for the families and those who have it.
With a diabetes diagnosis, you must be aware of the risk factors you face. One of these risk factors is that you can develop a serious eye condition called diabetic retinopathy. It causes vision loss and blindness in those who have diabetes by causing issues with the blood vessels connected to the retina.
If you have diabetes, it is important to get an eye exam once a year, since you may not notice any symptoms in early stages. Catching this condition early on will be the best course of action in preventing vision loss.
What are the symptoms?
With a diabetes diagnosis, you must be aware of the risk factors you face. One of these risk factors is that you can develop a serious eye condition called diabetic retinopathy. It causes vision loss and blindness in those who have diabetes by causing issues with the blood vessels connected to the retina.
If you have diabetes, it is important to get an eye exam once a year, since you may not notice any symptoms in early stages. Catching this condition early on will be the best course of action in preventing vision loss.
What are the symptoms?
- Changes in vision such as trouble reading or blurred vision
- Fluctuating vision
- Spots or dark streaks floating in your vision
- Dark or empty areas in your vision
- Eye pain or redness
- Difficulty seeing in the dark
What kind of treatment is available? If caught early, your doctor will likely recommend more regular eye exams. However, in the later stages, there are a variety of treatments available to stop your vision from worsening, such as injections, laser treatment or eye surgery. Overall, it is important to see your doctor with any concerns you may have to find the right course of action for you.
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Flu keeps declining, but shot recommended while activity remains
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| Kentucky Department for Public Health graph |
Kentucky Health News
Influenza cases in Kentucky continue to decline, dropping again for the sixth week in a row, according to the state's latest weekly flu report.
"The flu is somewhat declining, but it still remains at an elevated level," Gov. Andy Beshear said at his regular weekly news conference Thursday. "Get your flu shot. It works against the strains that are out there, it's still worth getting the flu shot now."
A flu shot is recommended for everyone 6 months and older as long as flu activity continues. Flu season runs through May.
The report shows 633 new cases of the flu were confirmed in the week ended Jan. 14, down from 967 the week prior, a drop of 34.5 percent. The number of confirmed cases this flu season is 39,425.
Kentucky's flu activity level remains "regional," meaning cases have been confirmed in at least two, but fewer than half, of the state's 16 regions.The report says flu has killed eight children and 122 adults this flu season, with four of the adult cases due to the flu and Covid-19 coinfection.
By far the highest number of cases is among children 10 and younger, followed by people 11-20.
Counties with the highest number of flu cases in this report were Jefferson, with 151; Jessamine, 46; Madison, 35; and Scott, 32.
Friday, January 20, 2023
Healthgrades recognizes 3 Ky. hospitals as among America's best
Kentucky Health News
Two other Kentucky hospitals were listed among Healthgrades' list of "America's 250 Best Hospitals": St. Elizabeth Edgewood Hospital and Lourdes Hospital in Paducah. All three are owned by Catholic organizations.
Saint Joseph Hospital in Lexington was the only Kentucky hospital included in the list of "America's 100 Best Hospitals" by Healthgrades, an online source for information about physicians and hospitals. This is the fifth consecutive year Saint Joseph has made the list, having previously been recognized among the Top 250 hospitals by Healthgrades, according to a hospital news release.
Anthony A. Houston, CEO of CHI Saint Joseph Health, said in the release. “It has been a challenging few years in health care; however, I remain inspired by the dedication to excellence and human kindness our caregivers demonstrate each and every day. Their commitment has allowed us to again be recognized as a leading hospital in the U.S.”
Saint Joseph Hospital was also recognized as one of the top 100 hospitals for critical care and pulmonary care. It received a "State Ranking Award" for gastrointestinal care, gastrointestinal surgery, pulmonary care and was a recipient of a "Stroke Care Excellence Award."
St. Elizabeth Edgewood was also recognized as one of the top 100 hospitals for orthopedic surgery. In addition, it received the "Cardiac Surgery Excellence Award;" a "State Ranking Award" for gastrointestinal care; a "Stroke Care Excellence Award;" and a "Surgical Care Excellence Award."
Lourdes Hospital was also recognized in the top 100 hospitals for critical care, gastrointestinal care, gastrointestinal surgery, pulmonary care and stroke care. In addition, it received the "Cranial Neurosurgery Excellence Award;" "Neurosciences Excellence Award;" and state rankings for gastrointestinal care, gastrointestinal surgery and pulmonary care.
Healthgrades says data for the rankings come from Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (Medpar) files for 2019-2021. Healthgrades says it analyzed patient-outcomes data for 31 conditions or procedures from virtually every hospital in the country, and a hospital had to have at least 21 of the 31 procedures and conditions to be considered for the rankings. The overall performance score is based on mortality rates for each of the 31 procedures and conditions, both in hospital and 30 days post- admission, with the higher emphasis on post admission deaths. Medpar files have records for all Medicare beneficiaries who use hospital inpatient services.
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
UK gets $3.7 million to figure out why Ky. Appalachian counties have low Covid-19 vaccination rates, and how to get them up
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| State Dept. for Public Health map, adapted by Kentucky Health News; for a larger version, click on it. |
University of KentuckyResearchers from three colleges at the University of Kentucky and the state Department for Public Health are leading a five-year, $3.7 million project to study Appalachian Kentucky residents' hesitancy to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
The project is called Kentuckians Vaccinating Appalachian Communities, or K-VAC. It plans a personalized, community-engaged approach and involves researchers from UK's College of Public Health, the College of Medicine and the College of Communication and Information and is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Rural Appalachian Kentucky communities are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 suffering and death. More than half of Kentucky residents have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, many Kentucky counties have had much lower uptake.
Marc T. Kiviniemi and Kathryn M. Cardarelli, of the public-health college's Department of Health, Behavior & Society, are the co-principal investigators and researchers on the project. They are spearheading the multilevel approach that addresses the individual, relational and structural variables potentially contributing to vaccine hesitancy in this region of Kentucky.
Rural Appalachian Kentucky communities are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 suffering and death. More than half of Kentucky residents have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, many Kentucky counties have had much lower uptake.
Marc T. Kiviniemi and Kathryn M. Cardarelli, of the public-health college's Department of Health, Behavior & Society, are the co-principal investigators and researchers on the project. They are spearheading the multilevel approach that addresses the individual, relational and structural variables potentially contributing to vaccine hesitancy in this region of Kentucky.
“We are studying ways of simultaneously addressing the willingness to be vaccinated, and vaccine accessibility, and then seeing if addressing those problems increases the portion of the population that has received a vaccine," Cardarelli said.
Kiviniemi said, “This region is rural, with many communities geographically isolated and with challenges with access to health care. In addition to low socioeconomic status, and elevated levels of chronic disease, this population is placed at significant risk of complications and mortality due to Covid-19 infection. K-VAC’s vaccination interventions must use individually tailored, strong community partnerships and strategies to build trust with this community.”
Cardarelli added, “We understand that there are different attitudes and feelings about vaccinations. This collaborative, community-based research aims to build better, trustworthy communications to help populations make more informed, actionable decisions while addressing the structural barriers such as physical location, transit time, community features, access to health care, among others.”
The co-investigators include the public-health college's Angela Carman, Anna Hoover and Emily Slade; the College of Medicine's Dr. Kevin Pearce and Jamie Sturgill; the College of Communication and Information's Diane Francis, Emily Messerli of the state health department's Immunization Branch; and Center of Excellence in Rural Health Director Fran Feltner. The center, based in Hazard, will provide facilities for the project.
To ensure that the project’s approach is responsive to the communities’ cultural, social, historical and economic contexts, K-VAC will be guided by a Community Advisory Board that includes members of the Kentucky River Health Consortium, which includes more than 50 organizations within K-VAC’s target population, including human-services organizations, health coalitions, law-enforcement agencies and managed-care organizations that administer Medicaid in Kentucky.
“Vaccination is a critical strategy for reducing the Covid-19 overall burden and health disparities, yet vaccine intentions and uptake are unacceptably low in our partner communities in Appalachian Kentucky,” Cardarelli said. “Nationally, individuals with lower education, lower household income and those living in rural areas are more likely to express Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. I am excited to be a part of this project, in collaboration with our project and community partners, to improve the lives of this population.”
Coronavirus cases increase again in Ky.; state's infection rate ranks fourth among the states; Covid-19 hospitalizations rank 21st
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| N.Y. Times graphs show Kentucky's new-case rate is fourth among the states; click image to enlarge. |
Kentucky Health News
After going up 76% in the week just preceding, new coronavirus cases went up another 22% last week, and the number of deaths increased 59%. Meanwhile, influenza cases dropped for the fifth week in a row.
The state Department for Public Health's latest weekly report showed 7,559 new cases of Covid-19, or 1,351 per day. That's up from 6,208 new cases the week before. Of the new cases, 14% were in people 18 or younger. The report was released Tuesday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
The share of Kentuckians testing positive for the coronavirus in the past seven days was 10.37%, down from 11.78% the week before. These numbers do not reflect at-home testing.
The weekly new-case rate was 13.06 cases per 100,000 residents, down just a bit from the prior week's 14.67. The top 10 counties were Elliott, 60.8 cases per 100,000; Menifee, 35.2; Simpson, 31.5; Harlan, 30.2; Breathitt, 28.3; Barren 28.1; Bath, 26.3; Adair, 26.0; Leslie, 26; and Perry, 25.5.
The New York Times ranks Kentucky's infection rate fourth among the states, with a 167% increase in cases in the last two weeks. The newspaper's statistics differ from the states because of different methodologies. The Times ranks Kentucky 21st in Covid-19 hospitalizations.
Kentucky hospitals reported 406 patients with Covid-19, down 85 from the week prior; 63 of them were in intensive care, down 10; and 31 were on mechanical ventilation, up five. The state attributed 59 more deaths to Covid-19 last week, up from 37 the week prior. Since the Dec. 5 report, Kentucky has seen an average of 42 deaths per week.
The Covid-19 death toll in Kentucky stands at 17,793. To remember those lost and those who struggled and helped during the pandemic, construction is underway on a memorial at the state Capitol. Louisville sculptor Amanda Matthews was commissioned to create the monument, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall.” Funds to build the monument will come from the Team Kentucky Covid-19 Memorial Fund.
Gov. Andy Beshear gave an update on the progress of the memorial at his Jan. 12 news conference. He said he expects the memorial to be complete this spring.
“We’re going to have lost over 18,000 Kentuckians at least through this,” Beshear said. “It’s going to be a place where people can grieve. We’ve seen heroic efforts of so many people, including our health care heroes. They deserve to be recognized.” |
| Kentucky Department for Public Health graph |
Flu cases in Kentucky declined in each of the last five weeks, according to the state's latest flu surveillance report, for the week ended Jan. 7.
The report shows 967 new cases of the flu were confirmed in the week ended Jan. 7, down from 1,307 the week prior, a drop of 26%. The number of confirmed cases this flu season is 38,792.
Kentucky's flu activity level remains "regional," meaning cases have been confirmed in at least two, but fewer than half, of the state's 16 regions.
The report says flu has killed eight children and 116 adults this flu season, with three of the adult cases due to the flu and Covid-19 coinfection. Most flu cases continue to be in people under 20.
Counties with the highest number of cases in this report were Campbell, with 35 cases; Daviess, 40; Fayette, 37; Jefferson, 332; and Kenton, 62.
